A surgical mesh fabric or other prosthetic repair fabric may be used to surgically repair a hernia. The prosthetic repair fabric is typically placed in an open procedure or laparoscopically. Oftentimes a surgical instrument is used to secure the repair fabric in place by deploying one or more fasteners from a distal end of the surgical instrument through the prosthetic repair fabric and into the underlying tissue. However, a surgical instrument that includes a rigid elongated shaft assembly for deploying the fasteners may have a limited range of motion within the surgical field. Consequently, many surgical instruments include at least one articulable portion along the elongated shaft assembly to facilitate the orientation and placement of fasteners within the surgical field.